2 Small Satisfactions

Today was a bugger of a day.

Having spent hours correcting and collating the results and personal comments for each of my 18 high school students' work for this term into individual dossiers, I thought I'd be clever and eco-friendly and save printer ink and paper, by putting all the files into my iPad, so I could go through each file with each student, in one on one interviews as I gave back their grades. Conscientious or what? Not to mention going for "cool teacher" points of course.

Now you have to understand I have been fighting to get back to zero street cred with this class since the very first week of term, when I wrote my new timetable down wrong and didn't turn up for their class until half way through, having been called by the vice principal : "where are you? Your class started half an hour ago....". Shite.

So, I was quite pleased with myself with my hi tech super service, and got ready for work, well in time, got ready to leave, and guess what? I couldn't find the bloody iPad. Oh yes, THIS is the day that my darling daughter chooses to try and secretly stash the iPad in her bag and takes it to school, so she can play games on it in the bus. The day it took me ages to upload everything to iCloud, and set it up so it was just ready to go.

No paper to print the stuff off and what's more no time to do that job at this point(about 60 pages).
A sudden epiphany that I can view them on my iPhone if I quickly set it up, saves the day, but I was so late leaving home by this time that I made it to school just in time not to be late, but with only time to grab my stuff and run to the classroom. It takes ages to open iCloud files on the iPhone so I was a grumpy sod by the time I finished my class, also 5 minutes late because of student questions.
The next class was as far away at the other end of the school as you can get from the first one, at the other end of the next building, a good 3 minute jog. SO by the time I get there, the bell is sounding and I am still 10 yards from the door. Normally no biggie, but today of course TODAY, was the day the vice principal (of the phone call above) had decided to come and randomly observe the classes in my corridor. Bloody hell. He gave me some "The bell has gone" comment, and that was my fate sealed as the unreliable , unpunctual teacher on the staff.
Anyway... I flounce in as if nothing has happened and start my enthusiastic, high-paced communicative lesson. All will be well! The second item on the lesson plan is returning last week's exams for which the grading deadline is tomorrow. I hand back the papers and then realise that my copy of the exam, without which I cannot go over the paper, is not in my file. Which means it is on my desk. At the other end of the school. And the Vice Principal who thinks I'm shit is sitting outside the door listening to my every word.
Bugger.
There was no way round it, I had to leave the class and the students doing a pairwork exercise and go and get them. With him watching me disapprovingly every step of the way.

I was not in fact fired, but let's just say it was not my best day for brownie points on the job.
And NOOOOO, of course he wasn't watching when I had my great, active, organized, on time, light bulbs going on in the students eyes lesson in the next period. No, of COURSE he wasn't.

Crapola!

I decided to do a penance by cleaning up my desk (just in case the firing comes tomorrow- I'll be ready), but by the time I got home I was still in the foulest mood known to man.
Child swears she took the iPad "accidentally", so I didn't even get much release by yelling at her.

We must always try and look on the bright side when we have days, and it's the weirdest things that put you back on track. A clean desk, and this packet of furikake (rice topping) and jar of mustard, are in fact small triumphs on this crappy day. I've been meaning to get these things for ages and kept forgetting, so the fact that I finally remembered to do it, and of course the 6 pack of Corona, have given me the strength to face another day!
I will aim for less moaning tomorrow. Wonder if anyone will read this far. *laughs maniacally*